Every stride he’d made with Rebel evaporated. No matter what she said about not forgiving him because he wouldn’t tell her the truth about Kaia, she had softened. That was probably why she was so fucking enraged right now.
“Rebel,” Diesel said tiredly. “Jana needs your friendship and she needs us to be her family.”
“Is it my fault that bitch is a stray mutt?”
Fuck, but she was brutal.
Jana stumbled forward. “I-I’m sorry, Rebel,” she sobbed. “Don’t be mad.”
“Mad? I’m fucking livid.”
“I’m sorry,” Jana said again. “You’re my only friend—”
“You aren’t mine if you came at me for no fucking reason.”
“But I did have a reason,” Jana wailed.
“The wrong motherfucking one,” Rebel shouted.
“I thought I could be a big sister and change your mind. Make you stop acting in a way that hurt Diesel.”
“Your first fucking mistake. I don’t give a fuck who you are. My thoughts and feelings belong to me. If you try to change them,especiallylike that, it won’t end well for you.”
“Diesel’s been so sad because you’re angry with him—”
“Then I hope he melts in a vat of misery and tears,” she spat.
Jana wiped her nose. “We’re sisters, though.”
“What’s going on out here?” Aunt Meggie demanded. She wore a cashmere robe, her damp hair streaming all around her. Obviously, Rebel had interrupted her parents. “Rebel, why haven’t you gone to feed Digger and get Cove?”
“I was hoping that motherfucker starved,” Rebel grouched.
Aunt Meggie scowled. “Cove hasn’t done anything.” She raised her hands. “Never mind. What happened between you and Jana?”
“I was mean to Rebel,” Jana admitted woefully. “I ordered her to accept Diesel’s apology and…and…”
Rolling her eyes, Rebel shook her head and threw Jana a putrid look. “I was jealous, Momma,” she said sullenly. “Diesel bought Jana a present that I wanted.”
“Which was?”
“A diamond tennis bracelet,” Diesel inserted, relieved that Rebel seemed to have changed her mind about involving her mother.
Jana lifted her arm and pulled back her sweater, revealing the piece in question.
Folding her arms, Aunt Meggie lifted a brow at Rebel.
“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, Momma.”
“I see.”
Rebel rocked on her heels.
“Why is Jana crying whenyoucalled me sobbing?”
“It’s a long story.”
“It isn’t,” Jana wailed. “Diesel’s so sad because Rebel won’t forgive him. And…and I confronted her as her big sister.”
